Coming After You
by Ara Goddess of the Broken
Summary: "In three years of marriage, that's the one thing I've never wanted to do." "Why not?" "She's here, and so is my life." "She's not here now." "No, she's not." Eric comes after Ariel, but their fight becomes the least of their problems when he vanishes.
1. Prologue: Confusion

AN: This story keeps nagging at me when I listen to the songs that I have planned for it. So, if you didn't read this when it first popped up last year, tell me what else needs fixing. I know it's kinda vague right now, and I'll try to clear that up as I go along.

Disclaimer: I don't own Disney or Daughtry.

Title: Coming After You

Category: Movies – Little Mermaid

Rating: T (light language and torture/violence later on)

Genre: Drama/Romance

Summary: "In three years of marriage, that's the one thing I've never wanted to do." "Why not?" "She's here, and so is my life." "She's not here now." "No, she's not." Eric comes after Ariel, but their fight becomes the least of their problems when he vanishes into thin water.

Prologue: Confusion

It was a calm, crisp evening that the redheaded royal strode in from, her soaked bag neglected at the door to prevent it from permeating the carpets with seawater. She herself was dry (her father's trident was a wonder for that in and of itself), but still seemed waterlogged, a bit uneasy as she looked around at the near dead castle. No one around, barely a light on… the place looked nearly deserted. The only time she'd ever seen this was when she came home early from Atlantica and Eric was away, leaving the staff no reason to waste the oil.

So if things were like this… where was her husband? The question had been on her mind even as she'd come ashore, for she wanted – no, needed - to find him and work out the fight they'd had sometime last week. Ariel had been planning her trip below, anyways, but the fight simply allowed them time apart to consider the rocky ground they were on. It also allowed them no chance for making up, as he couldn't follow her and she'd have to get over this all by herself to come back to him.

She'd concealed the quarrel, or at least attempted, but her liaison (read: ex-babysitter) Sebastian had certainly spread word, for at least three of her sisters had come demanding details and offering advice. That was half the reason she demanded to come back earlier than her intended fortnight. And she knew this choice had been the right one now, as the sound of her heels echoed clearly in the silent salon.

Venturing out of the salon and into the hallway, she was thankful for that sound, for soft as it was, it would alert and summon Carlotta. The maid's ears were sharper than a tack, and as Ariel strayed past the dining hall toward the kitchen, she knew the husky woman had heard her and straightened the others up before she was even within sight of the door.

The double-door pushed open to reveal the first strong light she'd in the castle tonight, the warm gold and orange silhouetting three forms, two fat, one thin.

"Your highness! So wonderful to see you've returned safely." Carlotta cheerfully greeted her queen, "I trust your visit was productive."

"No more so than any other." Ariel softly relented, "Where is everyone?"

"With you both away, we sent them home early. We kept the guards, of course, but we didn't expect you home for another couple of days." Grimsby answered easily, "I'll have the staff assembled as swiftly as possible, your highness."

"I'm not sure that's necessary." Ariel bit her lip a moment, trying not to let the fear take over. It did, however creep in, "What do you mean 'both'? Where's Eric?"

"He's not with you, ma'am?" The fear spread to the trio as they looked at each other and shared a silent conversation Ariel only caught parts of: Louie and Grimsby were sharing looks of their dark predictions being realized, while Carlotta was scowling at them for something she couldn't quite grasp.

Ariel seemed more dumbfounded by the question than anything else, "With – with me? Why would he have been with me? I've been in Atlantica."

They shared a look again, but this one was much more easily understood. The men both deferred to the woman between them: YOU tell her.

Ariel felt the knot in her stomach double when she saw Carlotta fold her hands behind her back, "He went after you, ma'am."

"B-But how could he do that without asking Daddy?" Ariel fought the initial fear that her father had caught wind of the fight and done something to Eric. She knew him too well… which only made it sound more plausible.

"Someone else offered, ma'am."

Ariel took that news better than the rest, turning away from the now harsh light and breathing a mental sigh of relief, "Well, then…who was it?"

The advisor grimly stated, "A stranger visited – we still have no idea how she got in. She offered-"

"Offered what? Wait…" The redhead felt the color draining from her skin as a sickening realization set in, "Wait. If you thought he was with me… he hasn't come back?"

"No, your highness." Louie's normally exuberant voice seemed almost dull, soft and restrained as it was.

Turning back in horror, she almost hesitated to ask, "How long has he been gone?"

Carlotta sighed, "Six days, your highness- I told him not to do it. We all did… I trust he never made it to the palace?"

"He never even made it to the city." The hollow reply seemed to bring her from panic to shock, "But then where could he possibly be?"

Turning back to the wall of windows, she stared out them to the relatively calm ocean. It seemed to not give any hints to the new secret it held, and more importantly, the royal it mercilessly withheld. Her azure eyes were the exact opposite, storming like a hurricane as she searched the waves for the lover she knew wasn't there. "Where's Eric?"

The water was calm, cool, and relatively numbing to the already emotionless creature barely floating along, drifting from current to current like a stray patch of seaweed. His navy tail seemed undamaged, but it barely kicked to push him along, the sparsest hints of gold echoing in the waxing moonlight as he fell to the seabed and pushed himself up. His normally light skin seemed almost unnaturally pale as he scraped past a bed of dead coral, the skin barely revealing any hint of the abrasion as he drifted on, eyes dim and struggling to stay open. This was made no easier by his mussed obsidian locks, batted every which way by the currents before plastering themselves to his forehead and his eyes.

He didn't know where he was going, he didn't know where he was, and he didn't really care. After all, why care about where his location or destination when he couldn't even remember who he was?

As he stumbled along, faint thoughts of food and sleep pestered him – he was severely over-taxed, after all – but they paled in comparison to the main questions that flooded him at the moment: who was he and what was he doing out here in the middle of nowhere, alone? The currents twisted and turned before darkening as he swept through a cavern of sorts, but as the currents moved up and out of the shelter, he slipped out of it and landed roughly on the debris-riddled floor, rising and resettling as the momentum that had kept him going for - how long was it now – struggled to bring him to rest.

Sight re-solidifying to ensure he could collapse here, he saw bits of junk lining the wall, but all was covered with a soft lining of silt. This place was abandoned, and thank god, 'cause he wasn't going to get much further as he was. Foggy blue eyes seemed to lose all depth and color as they slowly slid shut, granting the poor soul the rest he so badly needed.

The merman felt something nagging him as he passed out: he should be somewhere, should be doing something… but he hadn't a clue where or what, and without either of those, he wasn't going to heed the voice, quelling it just as something had quelled the rest of his cloudy thoughts. Only one fact pressed him, and that fact was that he was too tired to swim. So, he shuffled, almost too subtly for the eye to catch, and drifted into dreamless, thankless sleep.

Teaser:

A lone spotlight shines in a small club, the local patrons quietly ending conversations and turning to the stage. The merfolk here obviously had clear standards for their background noise, and as the dark-haired talent sheepishly shook off the pressure, his careless expression deepened with intense thought before he turned from the crowd to the piano and shooed the player away to sit down. Taking one last calming breath, he began to play.

"Tell me what you need and I will find a way to stop the bleeding- No! Don't add to my mistakes…" Those who hadn't given the man the attention turned. His eyes shut a steely grey but opened with a soft blue tint, like storm clouds were beginning to roll away and reveal a beautiful sky.

A honey-haired maid behind the bar smiled as she watched them all fall under the spell of his voice. Her work was unparalleled, especially when given such magnificent material to work with. Even she felt moved to pitiful empathy as he continued, "And tell me you're not leaving and I'll tell you everything you need to know! Don't throw it all away…"

The grey was forgotten as azure orbs reopened and saw not the pub, but the image of a redhead leaving, forcing a hand from the keys to reach for her retreating silhouette. "Don't say my words are just too la-a-ate…"

'_Ari…_' a voice within vainly tried to cry beneath the chains and curse that held it fast.

The musician's hand and head both fell, and as he looked down at his navy tail, he couldn't shake that it didn't belong on him as he retook the keys and began once more, the band behind him sweeping in to aid and amplify his hold on them and the scene.

"I don't wanna be left behind, I've been so blind, to all that I have broken!"

_A young prince looked out on the ocean from his balcony, posture slack and expression guilty. He turned in surprise as someone appears from behind._

"Can we put this back together?" The singer all but begged.

The royal sat in bed alone in the dark, expression torn before reaching for a small portrait from a bedside drawer. He looked at his fiery lover and nodded in decision before swiftly throwing the covers back.

"No more empty promises – they don't exist! Just me out in the open…"

_He stood before the amber-haired stranger, her dress dark and her expression true as she shook her head. She had to make this clearer than the purest glass: this was not some fleeting spell. The man nodded his acceptance with determination in his eye: this was not a fleeting matter._

"I know this will take time!" The prince acknowledged, no shame or discontent in it before he threw his head back and sang to the currents, "Can we put the past behind us?"

His mind trailed from a prefect kiss on the beach to pure isolation, chained up like an animal. He fought the violent light tormenting him, but he refused to yield his hold on that kiss, on that girl. His girl.

"Tonight, I'm gonna fight for you!" His ferocity made the few patrons that had seen him stumble in earlier before throwing him on-stage feel a shred of guilt. Except the stranger in the back who was more alarmed than remorseful. She didn't have a reason to be sorry for his choices, but she was worried that things might not have gone quite according to plan.

As blue faltered and immediately fell to grey in a flash that her skilled eye caught across the room, she stopped dead and listened to the same plea he'd made to her not a week ago. And as she looked him over she had to wonder just what all HAD happened in that time?

"Just give me one last chance to make it right!"

AN: As I said when I first wrote this, the story's planned start to finish, but I don't work on fan fiction unless readers tell me to. So tell me to!

-Ara


	2. Chapter 1: Choice

Disclaimer: I don't own Disney or Daughtry.

Title: Coming After You

Category: Movies – Little Mermaid

Rating: T (light language and torture/violence later on)

Genre: Drama/Romance

Summary: "In three years of marriage, that's the one thing I've never wanted to do." "Why not?" "She's here, and so is my life." "She's not here now." "No, she's not." Eric comes after Ariel, but their fight becomes the least of their problems when he vanishes into thin water.

Chapter One: Choice

Three days.

Who knew three days could change so much? Well… actually, he did. They all did, but Eric of all people knew entire worlds could change as rapidly as a sunset; three days could do anything beyond imagination. Including reduce a young prince from a thoughtless thug to a royal wreck, standing out on the balcony, not caring how intensely the sun burned his eyes as it rested just above the horizon, preparing for the most memorable time of day.

'_Golden time… Right..'._ But even the young rogue couldn't deny the power of this hour… sunset was when he'd found out that his heart had been right all along and that he simply needed to listen to it. Sunset was when he found his love; she had saved him only to have him fail to save her in time. Sunset was a reminder of his girl, and the moment he lost her again. Normally, that was simply off-putting, but today it was downright depressing.

Normally, this time would be spent with his wife before a hearty dinner and a pleasant evening. But not this week, it wouldn't. Why was that? It was simple, really. They'd had their first real fight, and the timing couldn't have been worse. In fact, timing was worse than the fight – the fight was over essentially nothing – because it prolonged the separation and prolonged the conflict.

How did it do that? Ariel might've chosen the world above for her home, but she ventured back below once or twice a year. The fight was the night before because, knowing that she would be going the next day he'd of course wanted to get into it before she left. And being the complete fool for her that he was, he thought that she'd understand and this wouldn't be a big deal.

What did that kind of thinking get him? A fight with his wife and a lot of uneasy time alone, staring at painful sunsets…

"You're gonna go blind if you keep at that, y'know." The foreign voice startled him as it broke the serene sound of the waves. Her informal, even inappropriate ease with him surprised and cautioned him. And as he whipped around to look at the stranger, her very being stunned him.

This stranger was a woman no older than his wife on the balcony above him. His private balcony, where she sprawled across the rail with the lax ease of a cat on a fencepost, her head propped up by her arm as she looked down at him with a discomforting mirth in her gleaming magenta eyes. The hot colors of the sunset played tricks with those eyes, making them shine blood red and adding another layer of danger to her unorthodox appearance. Her dress was simple, with very few layers to it, very little fabric to the bodice and no fabric at all for her sleeves. The colors were bronzes and berries, mimicking the light behind her quarry. Her hair seemed to add to the image of retreating daylight as it fell in soft waves over her shoulders and down towards him, waving hello in the ocean breeze. Honey and rose mixed magically into the most peculiar shade he'd ever seen on land. A color that bizarre was inhuman, and with the lack of modesty and ease of form, he hazarded a guess that the legs he saw peeking out from under her silk skirt weren't always hers.

"Sunsets may be beautiful and magical, or in your case damningly memorable, but such bright lights will burn those who try to partake in its glow too long." She stated with a soft smile on her dark lips. That smile only deepened as his eyes asked the question his mouth was too bewildered to manage at the moment: _who are you, and what do you know of me?_ "I know more about you than I need, but I didn't need to know any of it to see the pain in your eyes."

He looked around to not see any of the staff in sight. Then again, that was the way he liked it, and they knew not to bother him lightly while he was out here. '_Perfect…_' "Who are you and what do you want with me?"

"I was looking for a client, but apparently you're not interested in making up with your girl just yet, so I'll keep on." She shrugged before sitting up and stretching, eyes shut but still able to know the confusion and distrust on his face, "You're in pain rather than simply longing for her trip to be done with, so you two obviously got into it over something."

The royal fought a growl as he turned away, not willing to let her read him like a book any longer. Then he stopped, looking back over his shoulder at her in questioning. "What would you know of that?"

"Ah, so it _was_ a fight, then." Her chipped tone earned her yet another glare, "Who started it?"

"Do you really need to ask?" Eric defended almost reflexively, turning back to the waves and staring at them rather than the painful light above it.

The soft clicking of heels on stone confirmed one suspicion: this infernal woman was a witch. So what did she want with him? Better yet, why wasn't he calling the guards? He kept his back to her, knowing that if she meant harm, she'd actually have more opportunity if she was looking at him. Then again, with magic, there was no telling what little she needed to cast her curses, and there was no telling how to defend from them.

She chuckled as he bristled before her. The stranger held back a few paces, whether for courtesy or casting a spell, he didn't know, and at this point, he really didn't care. She shook her head at this reaction, not wanting the prince she knew to be so open to the world to shut himself to her and her offer before she could even make the sales pitch, "No, but if you'd said it was her, I'd have walked out of here and left you to totally destroy your marriage."

"I won't destroy it." He automatically stated, absolutely sure of himself. "And maybe you leaving wouldn't be such a terrible idea."

Barking echoed from across the beach, and both turned to it, one apprehensive and the other appreciative. Eric knew Max was the best judge of character he'd ever seen, and if he saw his master was in danger…

"Hey, boy." The witch laughed softly as the furry tank of a dog barreled up the stairs and across to them, sniffing the woman in curious investigation before licking her outstretched hand. She smiled and knelt to pet the royal pet, scratching behind his perky ears before he all but jumped her happily, "Easy! Easy! Hah ha ha… good to meet you, too, mutt. You been a good dog, keeping your master company while he's in the dog house, so to speak? Huh? You been good?"

The dog licked her face once more before retreating to his master and letting the stranger up to extract a handkerchief and wipe her face. "Your dog's one of the most loyal I've ever had to pleasure of interacting with. Wouldn't even let me within ten feet of the shore first few times I came by. Took over a week to convince him that I wasn't the evil kind of magic…"

"So he didn't trust you. What changed his mind?" The question left his mouth and instantly he knew he probably didn't want an answer to it.

"Hmm? Oh, it was little stuff: respecting his territory, peace gestures, a few tests... He's a good friend for you to have; I was happy to satisfy his demands." She shrugged before plopping down on the rail. "But we're getting away from ourselves – Max, show some restraint. Where were we?"

"You've been snooping in on my marriage." He deadpanned, eyeing her with lessened – but still persistent – disdain, "Do you really want to know about the fight?"

"No, no, I don't need to ask about the fight. That's between you and your muse." The Stranger dropped the smile, satisfied with finally getting down to business. "No, I have another question, a better one…"

She bit her lip a moment, fighting the triumph out of her with every ounce of magical willpower she could muster. This was the moment her weeks of training could pay off and she could finally dive through her window of opportunity on a royal wind.

She looked up at him and cocked her head slightly in genuine concern, "Do you wanna go after her and apologize?"

Eric could all but literally feel himself blown back by the statement. Or maybe that was just the ocean breeze? He felt a little weaker as the emotional hurricane stirred him up, and the blinding sunset behind the stranger who might've just become his savoir was NOT helping. However, it was adding to her ensemble to give her the appearance of a seasonal angel, wreathed in summer light as the autumn beauty spilled from her.

At a total loss, he felt himself sinking to the rail besides her, sitting as he tried to bring some sort of helpful emotion around to act on. Shock and confusion were damn powerful tyrants, and they weren't letting go.

Voice almost shaking as he let slip a reply, he found himself a bit ashamed of the unbridled truth in it, "In three years of marriage, that's the one thing I haven't wanted to do."

"Apologize?" Her eyebrows skyrocketed as she reeled in slight shock, "Good lord, no wonder you're fighting!"

"No!" Eric seemed offended by the thought of that. All he wanted to do at the moment was say he was sorry, how anyone could think he was so callous was beyond him, "No, I haven't gone below. That's her world, and even then, she left it for mine. I much prefer to sail above the seas than go under them."

The witch shrugged a moment before her brows lowered and knitted in confusion.

"Why?" He almost couldn't believe the word as it came out of her mouth. He couldn't believe it… because he didn't have an answer.

His expression demanded her to elaborate her question. Or better yet, rephrase it. "You're not scared, are you?"

"No." The answer was automatic. This much he was sure of, and his confidence also gave him comfort as he shot down the notion of fear, "That's not it."

"Aren't you curious about it, though?" The intrigue and mystery vanished in her voice, replaced with honesty and genuine curiosity.

This was harder to answer, and so the prince did what most men under pressure do: he brushed it off with a vague half-truth, "No more than any other sailor."

Quirking a brow at him, he realized that she recognized his answer before he did. Of course he was curious, every sailor is. And those such as he who were lucky enough to even know that there WAS something down there, they were all the more interested. There was usually something to hold that back, though… and she wanted to know what.

"Then why not go?" The witch asked as she looked over her shoulder at the ocean, with the sun mere moments from vanishing for the night.

He gave pause a moment before answering, his head sinking to hide his stormy blue eyes beneath his jet-black bangs, "She's here… and so is my life."

"She's not here now." She bluntly replied, standing and turning to the ocean as the two surveyed the vanishing light.

"No, she's not." She _wasn't_ there now to help him through the most difficult time of the day, and through the difficulties of royal life.

The stranger sighed and turned back to her king, deciding enough was enough. "Well, if you decide to take matters into your own hands, my door will always be open to you. It's hidden down the coast. To find it, one simply needs to think of what they desire… and my calling card. Good night, my liege."

The last ruby rays of the day's sun shone straight through the girl, blinding the royal. And when Eric turned back, his intruder was gone, leaving only a small amber gem with eight points, somewhat resembling the sun itself as it reflected the dimming daylight and intensified it to almost blind him again. His hand fell upon it quickly and as he squeezed it hard enough to almost draw blood, he knew that his day had only just begun. With magic involved, it always got complicated, so he wondered…

Just how many problems would be started trying to fix one as small as a lovers' quarrel?

The next chapter's more angst before we get into the good stuff. Tips and suggestions are always welcome, but reviews are required before I continue! Tell me to write!

-Ara


	3. Chapter 2: Contemplation

Title: Coming After You

Category: Movies – Little Mermaid

Rating: T (light language and torture/violence later on)

Genre: Drama/Romance

Summary: "In three years of marriage, that's the one thing I've never wanted to do." "Why not?" "She's here, and so is my life." "She's not here now." "No, she's not." Eric comes after Ariel, but their fight becomes the least of their problems when he vanishes into thin water.

I own nothing but an overactive imagination.

AN: Another year has come and gone... the fanfiction goes ever on... I wear no armor but too much honor, I hereby pledge my all, I'll try to finish this fic by the fall...

Yeah, that's terribly. Sorry, I'm a Gene Kelley fan and Cover Girl is maybe one of his most obscure works. Anywho, I'm back because someone reminded me I had this whole story planned out in detail and never sat down to finish it. So, here's a small taste to see if an audience is still out there. This is just musing and giving Max a little attention — cause he's not gonna get any more for at least ten chapters. Neither is Grim, but I didn't want this to be another long conversation. We're gonna have an exposition-heavy chapter next go around, so enough the puppy fluff now.

-Ara

* * *

Chapter 2: Contemplation

Six hours had changed nothing but Eric's location, swapping one balcony for another. The candles had burned out for the night, but the moon was still low in the sky, leaving the royal bathed in soft blue light as he sat out on the balcony, hands steepled in front of him as he stared at dark waves.

He was absolutely nowhere.

To say that Grimsby wasn't impressed by the Stranger's antics was an understatement. Even Carlotta had instantly chimed her opinion what the witch could do with her trinket, stunning Louie so badly he'd dropped his stew pot and spilled dinner all over the carpet.

Eric had quickly dropped the conversation and attempted to spend his evening quietly moping, but his staff refused to leave him alone so long as he refused to give up the Stranger's gem. Fed up, he finally retired to his bedchamber to escape the old fool's interference. Grim was much a father to him as the king had been, but as such no one could rile him quite the same way the adviser did.

Grim had posted a guard at his door with orders to stop the king should he exit before the staff were up in the morning. There would be words then. But there may not be a royal there to give them.

Maybe.

A soft whine interrupted Eric's thoughts as he felt a cold wet nose on his arm. Glancing down, Max rested a paw in his master's lap before nosing his hands. Clenching the gem in his other hand as he gently petted his best friend, Eric sighed and smiled halfheartedly at the dog.

"Sorry, mutt, we'll go in soon, promise."

Max blew the fur out of one eye in a blatant show of 'yeah right' and stepped over to the empty chair beside his. He whined again and quickly circled the empty chair, stopping and sitting between them in his spot, preferred for its increased petting probability.

Eric sighed and leaned over to rub Max's head, resting his on on the chair arm, "I know, buddy, I miss her, too..."

Shutting his eyes as he continued to pamper the pooch, Eric tried to shake the loneliness from his heart, and the heated conversations from his head. Failing miserably, he squeezed the gem once more, letting his frustration ebb with the pricking pain of pointed metal.

Max stepped out of reach, but Eric wouldn't open his eyes until he felt a wet tongue on his hand, lapping the blood droplets on it. Max nosed the hand in determination, and Eric pulled away in exhaustion.

"Not a toy, mutt."

Max followed the hand, nose forcing its way through his fingers before the hand retreated once more.

"No, Max."

A short, small bark drew a scowl from the prince before he glared at Max and saw something curious: not desire, but recognition. Scowl shrinking into a frown, Eric lowered his palm to Max and opened it, revealing the blood-tipped trinket for the dog to scoop up in his mouth.

Max returned to Ariel's seat, gently setting his forepaws on the edge before depositing the now slobbery trinket on the cushion. Max then sat and watched his master patiently.

He didn't move. He didn't breathe. He stared at the gem, then at his dog, and then at the gem again.

Reaching over slowly, Eric picked up the gem and cleaned it on his shirt. Max grumbled and gestured back to the chair.

"...you trust her..."

An affirmative bark as Max rested a paw on Ariel's chair again and whined.

Gaze returning to the trinket, Eric sighed and held it up to the moon, painting the moon gold as he stared through the gem at the night.

"...but do I trust her enough to go after her?"

He knew that this was unneeded. Ariel would be back in a fortnight... maybe... he hoped. He knew that she got her temper from her father, and that hearts ruled heads sometimes, but... was making up now worth risking his life with some witch's magic?

Was making up worth following her?

Eric lowered the gem and sighs deeply, reaching a hand to her empty chair. He squeezed the armrest firmly and closed his eyes, tired but sure.

Squeezing the trinket to his heart, Eric rose and abruptly walked inside, Max following with a smugly wagging tail.

Eric was halfway to the door before he remembered the guard. Shaking his fist in frustration, Eric looked around the lavish suite for another way out. If Grim was mad enough to post one at the front door, there was bound to be one at the servants' door and the secret exit.

Yes, words were definitely going to be had. At some point. But that point was not tonight or tomorrow, not if he had anything to say about it.

Looking out at the balcony, he quickly shook his head. That was fifteen feet and there was simply no way he was making that without a stronger rope than the curtain pulls.

Brushing off a slight nudge at his side, Eric absentmindedly patted Max's head on his way to the wardrobe, looking at dresses and coats in the odd hope he could fashion something of use.

A strong, short bark brought his attention quickly back to Max, who held a coil of rope in his teeth with what looked suspiciously like a smirk.

"Where did you even..." Max shook his head and Eric followed suit. "Never mind. Good boy!"

Max relinquished the rope so as to pant freely as he was vigorously petted by his master. As the pampering carried on a few minutes longer, Max made a note to thank the Stranger in every way possible next time they met for the tip about the rope. Making his master happy made him happy, and making his master happy enough to give him this much attention made him melt.

when the petting finally subsided, Max followed Eric out to the balcony, where Eric checked the railing before securely fashioning a knot around two support pillars and dropping the coil down to the steps four stories below. Darting back inside to retrieve a set of leather gloves, Eric addressed his dog warmly but firmly.

"Try not to draw Grim's attention till morning, and keep the place safe while I'm gone. Think you can do that for me, mutt? Huh?"

Max nodded stoutly and nuzzled against his master once more.

"I'll be back soon, okay?"

Max nodded again and watched his master climb over the rail wearily, ready to bark for help if need be. As Eric eased his weight off the stone and onto the rope, he calmed himself and readied himself. Any sailor knew that rappelling down a line was 80 percent mental. Well, 70, if the rope wasn't secured on both ends, but you had to have your mind right and just do it.

And so he took one last deep breath, and lessened his lower hand's grip. And with a push, he sailed down a good ten feet before he clenched the line and stopped himself. Breathe, unclench, push, clench, land, breathe.

Max whined despite himself, watching Eric slowly sink to the ground and away, possibly forever. Max shook his head and ignored that. His master was gonna be fine, the Stranger said so. And the Stranger hadn't been wrong yet.

Perking back up at the sound of boots hitting stone loudly, Max peeks over the rail to see his master release the rope and check the trinket in his pocket. Secure, he waved up at Max and headed down the stairs to the beach, and off into the night.

Master gone, Max eased his head through the bars and bit the rope, pulling it up one mouthful at a time like the Stranger taught him. Then he headed inside, and jumped on the bed. His master wouldn't like it, and Grim would like it even less, but he was gonna be in enough trouble, and besides, if he had to worry about his master, he could at least do it comfortably.

Anything to lessen that nagging instinct that said his master had just said goodbye forever...

Max rested his head on his paws and frowned, feeling less happy to be on the bed than he did a minute ago.

The Stranger said he was gonna be okay... so why didn't he believe that anymore?

* * *

AN:I know really, really short, but the next one's long, because the next one is the deal and the transformation. And if you want that, I need to know, because I'm not a mind-reader. So yeah, that box below me, give it some attention.

-Ara


	4. Chapter 3: Caution

Title: Coming After You

Category: Movies – Little Mermaid

Rating: T (light language and torture/violence later on)

Genre: Drama/Romance

Summary: "In three years of marriage, that's the one thing I've never wanted to do." "Why not?" "She's here, and so is my life." "She's not here now." "No, she's not." Eric comes after Ariel, but their fight becomes the least of their problems when he vanishes into thin water.

I own nothing but an overactive imagination.

Thanks for the attention! I've missed that while I've been at school stroking the egos of my fellow filmmakers. full Author's Note at the end, I'll let you get on with it.

* * *

Chapter 3: Caution

Stumbling to one of the smoother boulders littering his country's shoreline, Eric yanked out the gem again and examined it for a clue, a hint, anything to tell him what to do. The moon had set, making way for the nearing sunrise. The beach was no longer in cerulean darkness but rather the purples and pinks of a pre-dawn glow.

Eric had long since lost track of how far he'd come, but looking down the coast, his castle and capital were no longer visible. Shaking his weary head, he passed the trinket between his palms and thought as best his sleep-deprived mind could.

"Think of what I desire..."

How could he think of anything else? His speculations on his wife's activity, and her reactions to this ridiculous endeavor were what had kept a hint of a smile on his face, and the life in his tired eyes as he kept searching.

He never had much trouble guessing his wife's opinions (though her mind wandered far wider than his), but when the invariable question of 'what would Ariel say to this' had asked itself, Eric was a bit torn. Ariel's inherited hatred of witches was somewhat offset by her view of the Trident (magic that was used for good by the her father, arguably the greatest man they knew), and the fact that even if it nearly destroyed two kingdoms, her deal had gotten her what she wanted: him.

However, the only conversation that was deemed off-limits was magic and those who used it (with the obvious exception being her father's Trident). so looking to magic to fix their problems might not win him any points in her mind. But he didn't want to win over her mind, he wanted to win back her heart.

If Ariel was anything, she was a romantic, and nothing said romantic like risking yourself at the hands of some witch to run after your wife and apologize to her on her terms in her world.

Eric paused, letting those words sink in. Her world.

He had been offered the chance to go below with her several times, but his instant reply was always no. That knee-jerk reaction was another point that was never discussed, though he knew his wife was hurt by it. This was his world, and he had no desire to leave it and make a fool of himself down below in a form he couldn't like or control.

Well, that was a bit unfair. He didn't know that, but he also didn't risk it. Nearly drowning, twice, last year when he met Ariel had ingrained him with a deep respect for the ocean and a stronger desire to keep his distance from it. He sailed when required, and he spent most evenings either strolling the beach or at least watching it, but he couldn't remember the last time he went swimming.

He wasn't afraid of it. He wasn't. And he wasn't going to let whatever it _was_ keep him from his wife.

Wincing as the first rays of sunrise blinded him over the horizon, Eric raised his hand to block the light, the trinket lighting up like the sun itself as sunlight met the amber stone.

Dropping it reflexively, Eric watched it hit the sand, light fading away once more, and he knelt before it.

_'To find it, one simply needs to think of what they desire… and my calling card...'_

Cautiously taking her calling card, Eric glanced from it to his wedding ring, a wide golden band with intricate waves carved on one side. The waves of his band were matches to the waves on Ariel's. Two rings connected as one. Two hearts connected as one.

Something sparked behind Eric's eyes as he drew the gem back up to the light.

"Please... give me a chance to fix this."

Rays exploded through amber, bathing the cove and the royal in light and magic as he shut his eyes and begged for someone to answer him.

He didn't wait long.

"I offer you that chance."

Turning back to the empty ocean he'd spent the night staring at, Eric gaped at the Stranger, standing in the ornate doorway to an equally fantastic manor that seemed to melt into the waves, as if ti was made of sea foam.

The Stranger smiled smugly and gestured to the door.

"Are you willing to take it?"

The Stranger repressed the urge to squeal when she heard the prince out on the beach. She had too much on the line here and she did NOT spend weeks befriending and placating Max to trip up now. The inane amount of time it took Eric to figure out the key gave her time to get it together and remember her own priorities.

She needed to prevent that future, and the first step on that long road of rebuilding was planting the seeds in this deal. That said, this deal in and of itself would change more than he realized... and more than she probably realized, too, thinking about it.

Shaking her head as she banished those thoughts and brought her client inside her magnificent home and office, she began the long process that was a magical contract. _Keep the cards on the table, keep your voice low enough to suggest authority but light enough to avoid spooking the client. Courtesy and clarity will win you more than drama and deceit._

_And begin._

"I trust you found me easily enough?" The Stranger asked casually, avoiding eye contact as she lead him into her parlor. A coffee table separated two plush chaises, adorned with tea and light breakfast fare.

Don't serve anything you're not prepared to eat yourself. Let the client dictate seating arrangements, because if they don't like where they're sitting, they're not gonna like what you're saying either.

"Your calling card is anything but easy." The royal strode past her, but didn't move to take a seat, standing behind the chaise stiffly, on-guard.

Unwilling to let her disappointment show, the Stranger took the opposite seat and began to pour.

"Oh, it is, you just have to know my name. Tea?"

"No thank you. And what name is that, exactly?"

The Stranger sighed, hating this particular bit of it. Her name was just too expensive for him, not if she wanted this to go forward smoothly.

"My rates are associated with the knowledge of my name. If you knew my name, I'd be too expensive for you." She smiled gently and sipped her tea to taste before adding a bit of sugar to it, "Ignorance is bliss, and a severe discount."

"But without you name, how do you expect me to trust you?" Eric leaned on the back of his empty chair and raise a brow expectantly at her, unimpressed.

Drinking deeply before she answered, the witch shrugged and gestured openly. "It's a leap of faith. Of sorts. Are you sure I can't interest you in anything, I know you must be exhausted running around the beach all night."

"I'm fine." Eric shook his head, ignoring a small growl from his stomach as the Stranger drank. "What is your offer?"

Finishing her cup and setting it down, she smiled professionally and readied herself.

_Clear. Concise. Compassionate._ "Firstly, I have to warn you, I am not like the witch your wife dealt with. I'm not like Ursula."

Eric didn't bat an eye at this, which was more than the Stranger could say, grimacing at the name that crossed her lips. She didn't often hate anyone, much less those of her own kind, but that woman had made living in these kingdoms impossible for anyone else with magic. And she would never forgive her or her family for that.

"I wouldn't be here if you were."

She smiled and clarified, "That's not what I mean. I don't go in for her kind of spells."

"What kind?" Eric finally moved to sit down as the Stranger poured herself another glass. She also poured one for him.

"None of that three days bullshit." Eric stopped, reaching towards the tea but alarmed at the witch's sudden change in tone. "When I cast a spell, I cast something that will last. I can't have my clients turning back at the bottom of the ocean."

Taking the tea, Eric takes a hesitant sip before replying, "That sounds reasonable."

"It is." The Stranger nodded, resting her cup on her knee, "But that comes with a price of its own. My spells will not expire on their own, they have to be broken by something with as much or more power than me."

"Meaning?" Eric gestured for her to go on, setting down his glass half-empty.

The Stranger took a calming breath and continued. She had to make this clearer than the purest glass: this was not a fleeting spell. "You will be stuck like this until you find someone that can change you back, if not your father-in-law then another witch like me."

"You make that sound like a bad thing." Eric nodded his acceptance of the condition, knowing that this was no fleeting matter he'd want a way to back out of. If his returning to human form depended on him making up with Ariel, all the better.

"It's not bad, but it is a thing. It's a big thing." The Stranger confessed, popping a miniature pastry into her mouth, "If you fail to find Atlantica or make up with your wife you may never set foot on land again."

"You're a witch; I may never set foot on land either way."

The Stranger paused, then withdrew her hand without another pastry, appetite crushed by the bite in his remark. Sighing softly, she polished off her tea and rose, charm slipping away from her as she struggled to remain professional.

"I'll forgive your mistrust, as dispelling it would endanger the spell we're truly after. I can get you the form you need to find your wife and apologize. After that, it's up to you to find her and find your way back home."

Rising to follow her, the royal seemed more skeptical than before, "And what am I paying to be left alone in a world I know next to nothing about?"

Small smirk gracing her face, she entered the hallway and made for a set of immaculate quartz stairs. "I've kept the price down by not revealing my name, your starting point, or giving you guidance. My only reward will be taking one of your inhibitions and replacing it with a gift."

"And what gift would that be?" Eric was off-put by her response, having expected this to cost something big, visible, and very dear. But inhibitions were not something to be taken lightly, he supposed.

"If I told you, it'd ruin the surprise. I can give you a hint: it's a defense of sorts that's uniquely suited to this world you know nothing about."

The Stranger descended the stairs gracefully and quietly as to let her client take in the decor and the space in which the deal would take place. The mural staircase - a beautiful mosaic of surface life giving way to ocean life as the couple descended - ended to reveal a hollow, echoing sanctuary of crystal and stone. Morning light filtered in through the crystal, giving the chamber a warmth and life despite the lack of furniture or decor. The room contained three things: a bench near the stairs, an antique book on a large stone alter, and a circular pedestal of rose quartz in the center, the rock intricately carved and sculpted along the natural hues of the rock to engender the sun on the horizon, giving light and life all it touched.

"Do you have any questions?" Coming off the stairs, the Stranger wheeled around to take in her client. His unease had lessened upon his entering the chamber - very good - but misgiving was still in his eyes as his blue met her amber.

"If you endured such burdens to keep the price so low, why would you go to all this trouble?"

The Stranger lessened her smile to a smaller, more candid display. _Cards on the table. _"I want to change the future I see for the better. Besides, nothing's ever going to change for my kind if we don't try to amend our reputation to the wider world."

"Your kind?" Eric repeated, questioning, as he folded his arms across his broad chest.

"Magic users. We are forced to conceal that which makes us special, unique, powerful. In order to live up to our potential we have to live outside polite society." The Stranger fought and failed to keep the contempt out of her voice. It wasn't contempt for him, but it wouldn't help matters, either. She shook her head to clear her anger and turned to the alter. "But this isn't about me. It's about what the fight you had can change, and what you're willing to do about it."

Eric nodded, waiting patiently as the witch slowly thumbed through the book. As she skimmed, she calmly addressed the royal, "Now, once we start, there's no stopping this, so if you're going to flake out, you better do it now."

Biting his cheek a moment, Eric unfolded his arms and straightened himself up to full height. "Can you promise me something?"

"Perhaps if I knew what that thing was." The Stranger smartly replied, covering her unease. When clients showed resistance this close to showtime, it was almost never good.

"Will my kingdom suffer for me doing this?"

The stranger stopped reading and turned to glance at him over her shoulder, concerned. She hadn't expected him to be thinking about something like that this late into the game, but she would do what she could to assuage that.

Eric, seeing her expression, held his ground, holding out her trinket to her, "That's the one thing I cannot allow."

Walking up to him, the Stranger held up a hand in oath-taking, "I promise, I will do everything in my power to ensure your kingdom does not suffer from or in your absence."

Lowering that hand to him in a handshake, he continued to hold on to the trinket, hand falling to his side. "And what will I owe you for that?"

Shrugging casually, the Stranger teasingly replied, "You'll owe me a drink and an audience once this is all over."

Extending her hand further, the Stranger smiled as Eric took it firmly and they shook curtly. "Fair enough."

"Then let's get started. Leave your boots and socks on the bench; they're just gonna get in the way." She broke the handshake to gesture to the bench before pivoting and continuing to search her book.

Sitting to comply with the request, Eric allowed a bit of honest curiosity to slip in. "Won't my trousers get in the way, too?"

"Actually, no, not with my method. They'll dictate your fin color, but the discomfort stripping you would interfere with the magic far more." The Stranger easily replied, eyes still locked on her texts as she mentally prepared for the ordeal ahead.

"How's this work, then?"

The Stranger quit reading and returned her full attention to her client, "I activate our contract and execute it, giving you nautical form before I flood the chamber and acclimate you to said form."

Eric mouthed her word choice in apprehensive confusion as he worked his outer sock off. Finally yanking the wool piece off, he glanced up at her questioningly, "And that nautical form is a merman, right?"

Sitting to remove her heels, the Stranger nodded affirmatively and began to work at the straps.

"Indeed it is." She glanced up from her shoes after a dawning moment with a playful smirk, "Is there another form you desired?"

She couldn't help the chuckle as the royal instantly shook his head, "No. No, no, that's the form I'd want for this."

"Okay, then." Tossing the wooden heels under the bench with abandon, the Stranger stood and sighed, savoring the feel of cold stone on her freed feet. Turning back as Eric rose to join her, she clapped her hand in realization, "Oh, and lose the shirt, mermen don't wear them."

"Why?" Eric looked down at the comfortable cotton tunic, loathe to leave it with a stranger. Boots came and went, but this shirt was special. It was the most comfortable one he'd ever owned, and besides... it was the shirt he met Ariel in.

The Stranger's reply did little to convince him, "It's not going to do anything but slow you down and tangle you up. Besides, it'd be a white waving banner to any merfolk you saw: hey, look, I'm from the surface!"

"Is it going to interfere with the spell?"

The Stranger shrugged, weighing the options in her hand, "Well, no-"

"Then it stays. I'm traversing half the ocean; I'm not doing it naked."

Hearing the note of finality in his voice, she threw up her hands, "Very well. When you're ready, step on the pedestal and we'll begin."

The Stranger turned back towards the alter to stretch, and also to give her client some privacy if he so desired.

The royal was uneasy as he approached the intricate stonework, but as he gently stepped up, he felt the nagging fears and the paranoia subside as a warmth spread from the pedestal up through his body, calming him unnaturally with its soft glow.

Letting out whatever misgiving with a long breath, Eric nodded to the witch, "Do it."

Smile warm and just slightly triumphant (she couldn't keep it ALL inside - she had too much else to keep in check now), the Stranger turned and held up her hands, a glow rising from them as she locked gleaming eyes with him.

"With the night's end, the day is reborn in my Dawn... And in my Dawn, I call upon the day and night to answer."

The chamber unbalanced, ceiling aglow but the room plunging into star-lit darkness, Eric fought the wonder and astonishment that held him fast on the pedestal, but it was no avail. The stone beneath him lit up with moonlight, and above him a noon sun blazed upon his cheeks.

"Moon, as your light changes the tides, I enlist you to change tails of kings.

Sun, as your brilliance gives life to the world, now give power to my task.

Stars, connectors of all fates, commend him to the deep where everyone sings.

Sky, the keeper of all, protect him with my gift when the situation may ask."

Moonlight and sunlight blended and blinded the royal, stars piercing and binding Eric as the world itself seemed to swim and spin around him. He couldn't see. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think.

But most of all, he couldn't stand.

His legs gave away, sending him harshly into the scalding stone with a strangled cry. He could feel his body growing unfamiliar. He could feel the changes burning him from the inside out. He could feel his trousers vanishing in the magic, but he could feel the shirt remain, twisting around him to further restrain the panicked sailor.

The Stranger watched the transformation clinically, watching only for anomalies as the wonder of changing the species of another sentient, self-determining being had long since faded. The transformation itself had gone perfectly, and as she felt her gift slip from her to him, she spoke once more.

"My Dawn is complete, and I release you to your place. Night, enjoy your slumber. Day, shine down upon us with kindness."

Darkness faded away to light, revealing her client once more. Eric gasped softly, lungs still burning from their mutation. His shirt stuck to his sweaty, panting torso, falling over his hips before it gave way to an almost metallic navy tail, flecked with gold. As the Stranger came forward to examine that tail, she brushed the tight shirt back and faltered, flash slightly flush as she stared unabashedly.

"Oh, dear."

* * *

AN: Sorry it took so long. I wrote the dialogue for this chapter back when I first planned it, but the damn thing's gone missing so I had to rewrite it from scratch. Next chapter will quicker than this, if for no other reason than my protagonist will no longer be fully in-character, so him being a little out of sorts will be permissible while he re-orients himself.

Again, attention fuels the desire to boot up the old desktop and bury myself in writing. See the box, hit the box, love the box.

-Ara


	5. Chapter 4: Change

Title: Coming After You

Category: Movies – Little Mermaid

Rating: T (light language and torture/violence later on)

Genre: Drama/Romance

Summary: "In three years of marriage, that's the one thing I've never wanted to do." "Why not?" "She's here, and so is my life." "She's not here now." "No, she's not." Eric comes after Ariel, but their fight becomes the least of their problems when he vanishes into thin water.

I own nothing but an overactive imagination.

AN: This one's a little out there, and I know it feels a bit rushed at the end, but you're gonna get enough of Eric swimming around lost in this story, I didn't feel the need to fill more pages than need be with it. We'll be introducing a lot of new characters next time... so long as you give the box your love. -Ara

* * *

Chapter 4: Change

Amongst the sea of sensations that had assaulted Eric, the one to finally rouse him was that of crisp, cool water rushing over him. The sensation of security and serenity permeated him through the water as he inhaled it slowly, beginning the long process of returning oxygen to his rattled form.

A soft moan escaped him before he could stop it, and its relief was short-lived as he began to register sound again with the Stranger's chuckle.

"I know it feels good, your majesty, but you might want to think about waking back up sometime. You can't lay there forever."

Brilliant blue eyes opened to flick a glance of unamusement her way before they were distracted and transfixed by the sight before him: scales. Navy blue scales, which for some reason had golden pinpricks within that sparkled magically in the midday light.

Scales. Magic. Midday.

Ariel!

Eric shoved himself up off the pedestal hastily, yelping as he drifted up in the water rapidly from skewed momentum.

"Whoa! Easy!" The Stranger caught him from behind before he could bash his skull on the ceiling. She giggled lightly and gently swam around to face him, delighting in the new amazement in his eyes as he took in her own tail.

Bright, burning amber scales were framed by golden fins, shimmering like sun rays as she delicately treaded water to steady him. Covering her torso was a lavish corset, dyed orange and red with sun and moon phases embellishing the hems. Her eyes, no longer red as she mirthfully grinned at him, glinted amber once more, alight with a different sort of magic as she eased him back down.

"You're..." The prince trailed off, stunned observation dying in his throat.

"I'm...?" She teasing prompted.

He gestured to her, but rapidly regretted the motion as it shifted him unexpectedly. "You're... you're a mermaid?"

"Not all the time, but it is my natural form. I didn't think this would surprise you, given what I gave you."

"No, I mean... you have a tail!"

The Stranger looked between him and her tail a few times, confusion winning out, before snapping as her mouth opened in a massive O-shape. "Oh! You thought I'd have... No. Gods, no, I don't have the body type to pull that off!"

"Yeah, but I thought that you all had them."

Laughing earnestly, she slipped away to give him space, "No, your majesty. Your form isn't dictated by whether you have magic, though with magic you can somewhat dictate your form. Most witched prefer tentacles because of the pure functionality, but I prefer to be naturally me. Tentacles take way too much focus and coordination away from my work. Besides, octopi live in the shadows, I live for my Dawn."

Eric tried turning to follow her, but the twisting of his torso only served to catch his shirt on his naval fins and tug them painfully. Pulling his shirt free, his eyes widened, perplexed at the flash of red fin that separated skin and scales. Said red was a stark contrast to his navy tail fins, but it complimented the streak of red that crossed his face.

"Yeah, I forgot about the belt, too." The Stranger commented, more than a little sheepishly, "Well, at least if you lose the shirt you'll still stand out. Heterochromic fins are rare in merfolk, especially men."

Eric finally managed to turn and glare at her as she swept a candy bowl off the table, "Lucky me."

"Actually, yeah, you are." Popping in a sweet and biting down with a satisfying crunch, she offered the bowl up to her client.

"Want one? Changing species eats up a lot of energy." At the raised, questioning eyebrow he received, she elaborated, "They're just sugar and fruit juice; I encase them in a special ice so they don't dissolve until you eat them."

Eric reached out to take one, but frowned as the movement drew him back rather than forward. Grumbling, he flicked his tail awkwardly and came forward, stopping a little to closely to the witch. Only the candy bowl separated her chest from his, her warm smile a stark contrast to his embarrassed blush.

Taking another candy for herself, she cracked the ice between her molars and then shut her mouth with a slurping sound.

"Ooh, syrup center. Bonus." She confessed around the remains of the candy a moment later, "You should really have some, there's not exactly a whole lot of places to eat crossing the Barrens."

Eric swiped a cold candy and shoved it in his mouth rapidly, biting down to crack the frosty coating. The salt water in his mouth was suddenly overtaken by the strong taste of apples. He would've savored the flavor, but the salinity had turned the sweet dessert tart.

Face scrunched up, he quickly chewed and swallowed the 'treat' before flicking back from the Stranger and her candy bowl.

"The Barrens?" He questioned, breathing deeply as he waited for the saltwater to cleanse the taste from his tongue.

"That's what most of us call it. Between the shores of your kingdom and Atlantica proper is something of a no fish's land. Well, that's inaccurate, there are just as many out here as there are in- what I mean is this. The shoals and the outer reefs aren't officially part of the kingdom, serving more as a dumping ground for those unwelcome, unwanted, or unhappy in the kingdom."

"Unwanted?" Eric repeated warily, innately knowing where this was going but asking on the off chance his gut was wrong.

The witch nodded glumly, "Exiles, pariahs, hermits... we've got it all out here. And any magical beings who openly operate have to do so out here, naturally."

"Naturally."

"That said, the Barrens aren't exactly teeming with life, hence the name Barrens. And the life out here for the most part congregates in a few hotspots with the rest of the place being empty or at least occupied by fish who really couldn't be bothered to deal with others." She explained simply, replacing the top of the candy bowl before stowing it away, "But first things first, let's teach you how to swim."

Recognizing the abject insult in the royal's eyes, the Stranger quickly amended the statement, "Again. Sorry, I know you know how to swim, but trust me, the difference between legs and fins is worlds apart, and the sooner you accept this, the sooner you're on your way to your queen."

Eric sighed, cracking his neck to relieve the growing tension before he nodded and glanced up at the witch, "Then let's get started."

"Rule number one: keep a rhythm." The Stranger beat her tail in slow, deliberate rhythm and swam wide circles around the royal, who mimicked the motion and followed her path roughly.

"Very good! Good, maybe this won't take as long as I thought." She grinned happily and then launched into a winding, curving path across the room, "Rule number two: let it flow. I'm going to avoid the 'be one with the water' cliches, but the idea here is to slip through the water rather than cut through it. It'll give you more speed and use less energy."

Eric followed her into the first spin... and promptly spun out into the wall.

"Ooh... alright, think of it like this; this should make more sense for a sailor. Your tail fins are your rudder, your torso and arms are your sails, and your tail is your wind, only you create and control it. You gotta angle your sails right to take advantage of the wind while still going the direction you want."

Eric cleared the last of the spinning from his bruising head, watching her spiral up and circle the chandelier before diving down to land gently on the pedestal.

"Just picture that beautiful ship of yours and how to take it where you want to go." The Stranger prompted, gesturing for him to try again.

Shaking himself loose, Eric tentatively swims forward, then rolls right in front of her. Spinning out of that in (mostly) full control, he makes a quick lap of the room, executing a few barrel rolls to experiment with his stability.

Watching as curiosity and gleaming wonder replaced the tension and apprehension in the royal's face, the Stranger chuckled proudly. That had done the trick. Hell, he was even managing his rolls and turns well enough to avoid getting caught up by that damn shirt of his.

That damn shirt...

Idea dawning, the Stranger pushed off the pedestal with unseen speed and caught the royal up easily, yanking the shirt up off him in passing.

Coming to a screeching halt (figuratively), Eric called after her, "Hey!"

"You want it, come get it, sailor boy!" She challenged with a laugh, taking off across the room and out the door under the staircase.

Eric wasted no time pursuing, rushing a little too hastily after her. Overshooting the door, the royal spiraled back around without losing a step (or stroke, as it were).

Gunning down the hallway after her, the Stranger darted into a set of double doors down to the left, but as Eric burst in after her, he came face to face with a large rack of cutlery and blades.

Banking and rolling to avoid gutting himself, Eric just caught sight of his quarry double back across the hall. "Get back here, you little witch!"

Rushing the next room, Eric skidded to a stop at the overstocked pantry before him. Glancing round, the royal quickly caught the glimmer of a gold fin peeking out from behind a barrel of what looked suspiciously like potatoes.

Silently gliding forward, he then braced himself the other side of the barrel before grabbing the base of the Stranger's tail and pulling her out, shrieking in surprise.

Said shriek devolved into a giggles as she hid the shirt behind her back, "Damn it, that's not fair! No tickling!"

Halting his reclamation of his shirt, Eric looked at the tail he held in a white-knuckle grip. Raising his free hand, he ran a single finger over her tail fin, holding her out at arm's length as she immediately struggled and laughed.

"Stop that! I'll hex you, I swear!" She threatened petulantly, but Eric merely gave her a look akin to 'oh really' before running his hand over her fins vengefully.

Her cries and screams of horror and involuntary humor echoed shrilly through the whole manor, but Eric didn't let up until she had laughed herself hoarse and dropped the shirt in exhaustion.

"Thank you." Eric stated smugly as he dropped the witch and retrieved his shirt, pulling it over his head in a swift, comfortable motion.

Resting upside down against the barrel, the Stranger slowly caught her breath and glared up at her client with a bit of reproachful chagrin, "I am going to get you back for that sometime, I hope you are aware..."

Eric nonchalantly reached for her tail once more, but she bolted out of reach, "It might not be today, it might not be tomorrow, but something small will happen, and you'll know it was me getting even."

Massaging her fins, the Stranger extracted a leather satchel from thin water and tossed it to her client. "Feel free to fill this with sustenance for your journey, and then get going."

Catching the bag in the face, Eric quickly yanked it off and fixed the witch with a fresh look of confusion.

"That's it?"

"That's what?" She shot back shortly, "I can't give you a map, but I can give you food. Now that you can swim freely, anything else would just be wasting your time."

The Stranger fought to keep the disappointment out of her voice, settling on a dismissive tone that suggested a cold-hearted indifference. She waited with half-faked impatience for him to fill his sack and get going.

She didn't have to wait long.

* * *

Satchel lightly packed and spirit just as uneasy as before, Eric swam swiftly along an inbound current through the Barrens, as the Stranger had called them. And they seemed exactly that, as he hadn't seen so much as a krill in hours. The day had begun its descent into night, and while the light was changing, his surroundings had not.

And he could've sworn he'd passed that patch of seaweed before...

"Oh, great..." Eric moaned, hanging his head and pushing on, "Ariel never made this sound hard. I mean she found her way from Atlantica to the shore, in the dark, carrying me... so why haven't I found-"

His complaint died on his lips as he saw a light over the next ridge. Smile lighting up his face, the royal rushed ahead, topping the hill to see...

_Oh, crap._

Several dozen merfolk were lounging around what looks suspiciously akin to a bonfire, laughing and eating.

And every one of them was sporting multiple weapons.

"Oh, great..." Eric repeated, not catching his slip before the exiles turned as one, weapons instantly drawn. Hands raising in a universal sign of surrender, the royal felt a knot form in his throat when several exiles looked down at his body and drew secondary weapons, or summoned magic into their hands.

_Oh, shit._


End file.
